Know the types of bipolar disorder and its treatment

Bipolar disorder or bipolar disorder may already be familiar to your ears. The leading artist in Indonesia, Marshanda, is one of the people who has this condition. There are two types of bipolar disorder that you need to know, namely bipolar disorder type 1 and bipolar disorder type 2. Then to treat it, do patients with different types of bipolar disorder get the same treatment? Check out the following reviews.

Recognize the different types of bipolar disorder

Don't confuse bipolar disorder with multiple personality disorders dissociative disorder. For an explanation of what multiple personality disorder is, check the following link.

Bipolar disorder is a mental illness characterized by extreme mood swings. People with this condition have an unstable mood, which is very rapidly changing and conflicting. Sometimes, he will feel very active and excited. On the other hand, he will feel depressed and depressed.

The occurrence of mood swings without control can interfere with a person doing daily activities, such as working, studying at school, or even building relationships with people around him.

Broadly speaking, people with bipolar disorder experience three main symptoms, namely episodes of mania, episodes of hypomania, and episodes of depression. From these symptoms, two types of bipolar disorder can be categorized, namely:

1. Bipolar disorder type 1

People with bipolar type 1 usually experience an episode of mania (very happy) which then changes or is followed by an episode of depression (very sad). In this case, the mood swings will be most noticeable when the person is happy and excited, to sudden sadness and major depression.

Manic episodes are mood disorders that make a person very excited mentally and physically.

When this episode occurs, the decisions made are sometimes irrational. For example, spending money to buy things that are not really needed, violence, or even sexual harassment.

Manic episodes generally last about 1 week, followed by depressive episodes for 2 weeks.

2. Bipolar disorder type 2

People who are diagnosed with bipolar disorder type II will not experience episodes of mania, but episodes of hypomania. Episodes of hypomania are less extreme forms of mania, so the mood swings are less noticeable.

Although it is difficult to know, people around the patient are able to recognize these changes. This hypomania episode will usually last a maximum of 4 days.

3. Cyclothymia disorder

Cyclothymia is a mild version of bipolar disorder. The symptoms of cyclothymia are almost the same as those of bipolar disorder, which contribute to rapid mood swings in a short time.

However, it should be underlined that, when compared to bipolar disorder types 1 and 2, cyclothymia has a lighter intensity of depression and hypomanic episodes.

4. Rapid cycle

Rapid cycle or fast cycle is included in one of several types of bipolar disorder, which appears when the person experiences various changes mood within 12 months.

With a note, a person can only be said to have bipolar disorder type rapid cycle when the mood period lasts for several days.

These mood swings will usually continue to change with erratic intensity. This means that they can be very happy, not very happy, very sad, even seemingly normal as there are no problems.

Is the treatment for bipolar disorder the same?

Reporting from the Mayo Clinic page, dr. Daniel K. Hall-Flavin explains that treatments for bipolar disorder, both bipolar type 1, type 2, and others generally involve medication and behavioral therapy, including:

• Stabilizing drugs mood. Quickly changing moods can be controlled with this type of drug. For example lithium, divalproex sodium, or carbamazepine.
• Antipsychotics.This drug is usually used to treat symptoms of mental disorders such as delusions, hallucinations, paranoia, and mental disorders. Antipsychotic drugs include olanzapine, risperidone, or quetiapine.
• Antidepressants. This drug is used to manage depression. The use of antidepressants sometimes triggers a manic episode, so they should be prescribed together with mood stabilizers or antipsychotics.
• Psychotherapy.Treatment for bipolar disorder patients provides an understanding of negative behaviors that should be avoided and how to replace them with positive behaviors.
• Self-management and rehabilitation strategies.Many patients with bipolar disorder who are addicted to alcohol or use illegal drugs have to be treated with tighter supervision and safety from a doctor. Patients are also trained to live a healthy lifestyle such as regular exercise, eating nutritious foods, and getting adequate rest.

Symptoms of bipolar disorder type 1 are considered more severe than bipolar disorder type 2. Therefore, patients with bipolar disorder type 1 are usually advised to stay in the hospital. This is done to prevent the patient from doing things that endanger himself or others, as well as to continuously monitor his condition.

While patients with bipolar disorder type 2, usually can still be treated with medication and support from people around them. Although until now it has not been found with certainty that a drug that actually treats bipolar disorder, conducting regular consultations with doctors, diligently taking medication and following therapy, and changing a healthier lifestyle can improve the quality of life of patients.